Description:
John Collier (1850-1934)
Fire
Oil on canvas
1407mm x 1203mm
The Hon. John Collier ROI was the second son of Sir Robert Collier (Lord Monkswell). He trained at the Slade School of Art, London and became acquainted with artists such as John Everett Millais and Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Collier became a popular portrait painter for the upper classes but also painted large scale history paintings, often focusing on classical subjects. Here he depicts a contemporary scene. A red-haired girl cowers on her bedstead, her face lit by firelight. Although the subject remains ambiguous, the girl’s fearful expression, her dramatic posture and the unlit candle by the bedside imply she has been awoken by the flames and may be in danger.